Volunteers fed up with a lack of facilities in their village are planning to set up their own community shop. People in Ewelme, near Wallingford, will open a not-for-profit store and tearoom in May.

Villagers claimed opening the shop in defiance of the recession would transform services in their community. More than 350 people have already bought a £10 share in the store, which will use the Old Post Office site in Parsons Lane.

Another £21,000 has been raised to get the shop up and running.

Volunteer Duncan Robertson, 26, said the idea of an Ewelme Village Store had been first mooted 18 months ago.

He said: “The idea came from a survey in 2007 of residents and one of the priorities for the village was to have a shop.

“It’s going to be of massive benefit to the community, providing excellent locally-sourced food and goods that people, especially the elderly and those without transport, have to travel relatively far for.”

The store will be manned by up to 30 volunteers and a part-time manager.

Organisers hope the shop will become a community hub and could be used to teach schoolchildren about life on the shop floor. A food delivery service is also planned.

Local benefactors let the building to the village for a peppercorn rent following the closure of the Post Office in 1997.

Mr Robertson said: “People of all ages are involved in running it. We are in a position of being able to take anyone that has something to offer. Any profit we make will go back into the shop and anything left over after that will go into community projects in the village.”

Volunteers want to invite pupils from Ewelme Primary School to sell and order stock and also help with the home delivery service.

Mr Robertson said: “We have teamed up with the headteacher of the school and between us we are going to see if we can get the pupils to do some deliveries and work in the shop for experience.

“It will be much more than a store — it will be owned and run by the community.”

Bread, milk, canned goods, newspapers and magazines, as well as locally-produced meats, cheese, cream and vegetables will be on sale. A parcel collection service will be on offer.

Residents will also be invited to give away any excess fruit or vegetables they may grow.

o Contact: 01491 834467 Web: www.ewelmevillagestore.co.uk